Liu Wen

Think about this: Even if only one in 1,000 women in China can be considered perfect 10s, there are still over 500,000 stunners just waiting to be discovered! Somehow Liu Wen managed to stand above her female compatriots (not hard when you are nearly six feet tall) and rise to the top of China’s burgeoning modeling industry. Not only has Liu Wen hit the big time in London, New York and beyond, but she was also the first Chinese model to ever walk for Victoria's Secret.

SEX APPEAL

Nearly every man goes through a stage where he finds himself irrationally attracted to Asian women. It’s an appreciation of their svelte frames, exotic beauty and grace -- three things Liu Wen boasts in China-sized quantities. Her gorgeous bone structure and bubbly personality has been unleashed upon North America and we like what we see.

SUCCESS

In 2009, Liu Wen became the first model of Chinese descent to walk for Victoria's Secret. Going from a small provincial fishing village to the runways of Milan or Paris, as Liu Wen has, must be admired. For a “small town” girl (that’s putting it mildly), she’s certainly living big city dreams. She's also become the first asian face for Estée Lauder and is currently ranked No. 5 on models.com's Top 50 Models Women list.

Liu Wen Biography

Before Liu Wen was born there in 1988, China’s Hunan Province was known more for its fertile rice fields and fish than its leggy supermodels. After school, she worked as a tour guide, using her outgoing personality and sharp wit to carve out a nice niche for herself.

However, like any new grad setting out into the world, money was tight. Liu Wen wanted a laptop, and to get the money she made a decision that would change her life forever.

liu wen enters the new silk world model contest

A friend suggested she try the 2005 New Silk Road World Model Contest, whose first-place prize money would more than pay for her computer. She had no experience, just a tall, lean frame and phenomenal bone structure that was phenomenal enough to garner her first place in the provincial qualifying round. It looked as if her days of guiding tourists around the country were forever behind her.

The New Silk Road World Model Contest is a big deal in China, and Liu Wen faced fierce competition when she arrived at the national stage. Perhaps hindered by her inexperience, Liu lost but caught the eye of many prominent industry types. They were moved by her unpretentious attitude and viewed her plain features as a blank slate onto which they could craft countless personae. Liu Wen wasn’t going to have to worry about paying for her laptop after all.

liu wen appears in vogue and signs to marilyn agency

Liu Wen soon started appearing in the Chinese editions of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, garnering her first cover just months after beginning her career (almost unheard of in that credential-obsessed industry).

Big time Parisian modeling agency Marilyn took notice and signed the budding star in 2008. That relationship gave her the contacts she needed to start working runway shows in fashion capitals like Milan, Miami and New York. She went from train-riding tour guide to jet-setting supermodel in just a few months.

Karl Lagerfeld, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Chanel -- the titans of the fashion industry have all employed Liu Wen to wear their collections. In Spring 2010, Liu Wen walked in 70 shows in New York, Paris and Milan, making her the second most booked model of the season. While Liu Wen has been touring global runways, she's become a superstar in her native China and has broken new ground for Asian models. She was the first model of Chinese descent to walk for Victoria's Secret in 2009, and in 2010 became the first Asian face of Estée Lauder.

She continues to work a hectic schedule, with magazine spreads, fashion shows and a burgeoning collection of endorsements from bottled water to perfume. She’s defied the odds her entire career, and is now reaping the rewards.